The Christmas Miracle
by Nikolettelime
Summary: Chris & Mary have been married a year & are getting the team together for Christmas. when a last minuet errand turns tragic for Vin, the others go out searching for him as a snowstorm is headed their way, making it only a miracle for him to be found.
1. Chapter 1

Chris Larabee stared out the living room window, at the gently falling snow as it hit the yard.

He and best friend Vin Tanner were going Christmas shopping and then help Mary with getting the house ready for that Sunday evening, when they had dinner with all their family.

He sighed, as he thought bout his new wife and step-son- no, _son_. No 'step' to it, they boy had won his heart from day one.

Mary came up and handed him a cup of coffee, "How does it look, Chris?"

"Not too bad. And inch fell in the night, but it's slowing down and the weekend looks good too."

"Good. Because you and Vin have some shopping to do and Billy will be home on Sunday," Mary said, gauging her husbands reaction. "Oh, and Chris," she added, before heading back to the kitchen, where the smells of pumpkin and apple flooded, "I'm out of that purfume that you gave me for my birthday; and there is only one place to get it."

His face turned red, just like she thought it would, "You look handsome when you blush, Mr. Larabee,"

"You know what strings to pull, don't you, Mrs. Larabee?"

"That's what makes me a good office manager and journalist."

Chris stuck his tongue out at her, causing her to giggle, "That's very juvinile, Cowboy," a man said, walking into the room, causing Mary to laugh out loud, and disappear into the kitchen.

"Don't you knock, ya stinkin' Texan?" Chris asked, throwing a pillow at the 'intruder.'

"I took a shower before I got here, so you must be smelling my calonge," Vin Tanner said, with a smile.

"Christopher Adam Larabee!" Mary's voice yelled from the kitchen, "you throw that pillow again, and I'll skin your hide!"

Tanner grabbed his best friend by the elbow, "Let's get you outta here before you get yourself killed."

"Thank you, Vin," Mary said, as they passed the kitchen, headed to the front door.

"Your welcome, Mrs. Larabee," he said, grabbing his hat from the table, and getting a glare from Chris, "That don't work on me, Larabee. Save it for Ezra," he added, as they went to Larabee's Chevy® Silverado®.

On their way to the mall, _A Cowboy's Christmas Gift _by Charlie Daniels filled the truck and Chris reached over to turn the volume up, "I love this song," he said, "especially the chorus. I never knew what to give until I heard this song, a few years back. Seemed like all God really wanted was me; not fancy words or something extravagant, just the humbled heart of some backwoods country boy."

Vin smiled, memorizing the words that Chris was refering to, getting an idea of what he was going to do, "Sounds like Josiah's gotten to you, Cowboy," he said, talking about the team chaplain.

"Maybe, but he's right," Larabee agreed, "Wish I knew where to find this song…" he added, quietly to himself, not realizing the man in the passenger seat heard him."

Vin laughed three hours later, as they got back into the truck. It was a Friday and not just _any_ Friday, _but_ the Friday _before_ _Christmas _and the mall nd surounding stores, had been packed. "I see where you spent most of your time, Cowboy," he said, indicating the _Victoria's Secret®, Claire's®, Talbot's®, Bath and Body Works® _bags Chris had.

"Shut up, Tanner," he growled, "Look at yours, before you laugh at mine."

_Orchelin's®, Home Depot®, Staple's®, Hasting's®, and Dollar General® _covered the Texan's bags, "Good places to shop, and worthwhile," he said, proudly, "But I only have two women to buy for, and you have three."

"Your time will come, Vin," Chris said, pulling out of the crouded parking lot. "One of these days, you'll find the right girl."

Chris, Mary and Vin, who was spending the night, were setting in the living room watching the Christmas light and drinking apple cider, when the phone rang.

Chris turned on the speaker phone, "_Tell Casey I love her and that I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to see each other before I died!" _JD Dunne's voice came over the intercom.

Larabee laughed, knowing very well how Buck Wilmngton, Alpha Team 7's Casanova and JD's best friend drove, as Tanner answered, "Sorry, JD, cain't, we're busy."

"_Awww, come on, now JD!" Buck's voice said, "I drive perfectly fine, and you know it."_

Mary shook her head and went back to her knitting, listening to the friendly bickering that was going on.

"_Umm, easy the yellow dotted line is pretty, but it doesn't scream _'Drive on me and I'll love you forever!"

Chris reached over and hung up on them, as a song came on the CD player, causing both men in the room to listen;

"_I know it's Christmas time old friend, but I ain't got a thing to send some heartfelt words from this old pen, is best I can do makes no difference where you roam_

_I hope you'll never be alone, until the Big Boss calls you home that my Christmas gift to you."*** _

The sound of Charlie Daniels' voice filled the room, making them smile; Chris' one of a memory, and Vin's one of a secret.

The next morning, Vin looked out at the yard, as he pulled on his jacket to go check on the horses and smiled. '_The snow really does make things look prettier,_ he thought, as he headed out to the barn.

The air was crisp, and cold but he loved watching the birds and hearing the snow crunch as he walked across it.

Mary was pouring coffee into some cups when their guest walked in, " I have some coffee, here, if you want some," she said.

"That'd be great, Mary, thanks," he said, accepting the steaming cup, "I need to get out of here in a few moments, though and pick up some things."

"Okay, take some with you then," she said, getting a travel thermos from the cabinate, "I made plenty, knowing how you and Chris drink it."

Mary, herself, prefered hot tea or cocoa, but made the coffee for her husband when he got up in the morning.

Vin smiled to himself, as he leaned against the island, Chris had finally found someone that got up earlier than he did.

He took the offered thermos, as he finished his cup, "Thanks, Mary," he kissed her cheek and headed out the door as Chris came down the stairs in jeans and a t- shirt, "Tanner, keep your lips off my wife!" he yelled, with a grin.

Vin and Mary were more like brother and sister, and he knew it, he just liked to tease them.

He looked at the band that he wore on his right hand; Vin had one like it and so did two other people. The four of them had them made right after they had gotten back from Iraq, making a pact to take care of the other's family if something happened to one of them.

"Chris, honey," Mary said from the bottom of the steps, "are you okay?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, honey. Just thinking about the past."

His wife smiled, as she headed to the den, to place a phone call, "Mrs. Malloy? Katie? This is Mary Larabee, Chris' wife, how are you? We're fine, thanks. Well, I was wondering if you could give Trent a message for me?"

Vin Tanner smiled as he held the door open for an older couple, before entering the shop, "Mr. Brown, how are you?" he asked, addressing the owner.

"I'm fine, Mr. Tanner, thank you," he pulled out a wrapped package, "Here's what you ordered. I believe you paid for it yesterday?" he asked, checking a book on the desk.

"Yes, sir, I did," he said, taking the package, "thank you, for taking care of this for me. I wasn't sure where to look, but I knew who to talk to."

Moments later, the former army sniper was on his way back to Larabee Ranch, to help with final prepareations. He was on an old dirt road, when a deer ran out in front of him, causing him to slam on the brakes and slide on the snow and into a ditch after flipping twice.


	2. December 24

_Packing up the dreams God planted, In the fertile soil of youth, I can't believe the hopes, He granted when the chapter in your life is through, We'll keep you close as always, It won't even seem you're gone, Cause our hearts in big and small ways, Will keep the love that keeps us strong, And friends are friends forever, If the Lord is lord of them, And a friend will not say never, Till whatever end cause the welcome will not end, And though it's hard to let you go, In the Father's hands we know, That a lifetime is not too long to live as friends***_

Chris went about picking up wood from the shed and taking it in the house, almost not hearing the song that was playing;

"_I can't believe the hopes, He granted when the chapter in your life is through, We'll keep you close as always, It won't even seem you're gone, Cause our hearts in big and small ways, Will keep the love that keeps us strong,"_

"_Vin, what are you doing?" Trent Malloy asked, seeing the Texan looking in a window at a jewelry store._

"_You know that song by Michael W. Smith, _Friends are Friends Forever_?"_

_Chris and Nikole Morgan walked up at that time, "Yeah, I have it on my MP3 player," she said, "why?"_

"_I've been thinking about our friendship," he began, "and that of Johnathan and Davd in I Kings. They promised to take care of the other's family if something happened to the other. We did the same."_

_A while later, after being sized, and placeing their orders, the small group walked out with identical gold rings, each having _I Kings 18:1-4 _inscribed inside the band._

"Chris, is everything okay?" Mary asked, coming into the room covered in flour.

"I don't know, honey," he said, grabbing his coat, "Vin's been gone six hours, and that's not like him. He would have called if he knew that a two hour trip was going to be tripled."

Mary handed him his gloves, "Bring him home, Chris," she whispered, kissing him before pushing him out the door, "Call me, no matter what,"

"You know I will," he said, getting in the truck, "Call the others, Mary, I don't want you left alone with the weather like it is."

It wasn't the weather he was afraid of; he wanted the other members to be there in case something had happened. Mary watched him leave, then picked up the phone, "Ezra, it's Mary. I need you to get the others and come to ranch… No, Chris is fine… yes, he's been gone for nearly six hours. Okay, thank you, see you soon."

Chris drove his truck slowly, looking out for Tanner, or his old truck along the way. The snow started falling as he got a mile from his ranch, quickly sticking, "Oh, God, not now!"

Vin Tanner stumbled out of his busted up truck, not even taking in the fact that it rested on its side or that it was out the windshield; or where the windshield should have been. He walked aimlessly out toward the pasture that he'd landed in, not knowing that he was on Larabee Ranch, or that he was just 300 yards from the back door of the house when he collapsed.

Chris nearly slammed on the brakes when he saw the old truck on its side in the ditch a mile and a half from his ranch. He pulled out the radio from its cubbie, "_Casanova_, it's _Cowboy_, I found his truck," he said, as he walked down.

"_Do you see him, _Cowboy_?" _Buck Wilmington's voice came over the speaker.

"Negative. Looks like he crawled out of the windshield," he said, walking around the truck, "I can't see how he could have walked away from this, Buck," he said, picking the little angel charm off the broken windshield, "other than Divine intervention. Remind me to have a nice little chat with the idiot that put the glass in."

"_It shattered, didn't it?" _Wilmington asked, already knowing the answer, as he pulled into the driveway to the team leaders ranch.

"Yep," Chris confimed.

"_I'll join you."_

Larabee noticed footprints heading into the pasture, "Tell Josiah to get two of the horses and meet me at the south pasture. He headed that way and there's blood on the ground."

"_Yes, sir, he's headed out now."_

Josiah Sanchez saddled to horses and led them from the barn. This wasn't exactly how he was expecting to spend Christmas Eve, having done too many vigils in hospital waiting rooms to count, with three being on Christmas. Since he'd joined Alpha Team 7, the President of the United States elite military team, that ranged anywhere from search and rescue to search and destroy, he had spent Christmas in a hospital waiting room, three times, wondering how his friends were and praying for them.

It never got any easier, either, if anything, it got harder, wondering if this might be the last time you got the group together, or if the next time you saw each other was during a 21- gun salute.

Josiah knew what would happen to Chris if something happened to Vin Tanner and was praying that nothing did, otherwise there would be no team left.

They were the closest of the seven, and it was no secret that they brother in every sense of the word but blood.

Nikole Morgan smiled as she looked out the window of her cabin that was on the back lot of Larabee Ranch. She loved watching the snow fall and couldn't wait for the white Christmas she knew they would have. Blissfully she walked to the closet and got her coat, unknowing about what had happened to the Team 7 sniper or that she had left her cell phone on the dresser.

She led her brown mare out of the stable, and mounted the horse, as the sun slowly sank behind the tree line.

She found the small picture frame first, splattered with blood, _To Cowboy, From Sniper, _it said. "_I know it's Christmas time old friend, but I ain't got a thing to send, Some heartfelt words from this old pen, is best I can do makes no difference where you roam, I hope you'll never be alone, until the Big Boss calls you home, that's my Christmas gift to you."*** _

"Vin?" she called, looking around for her ;brother.'

She led her horse further down a hill, finding Vin at the bottom.

_Then a drunk man in a cowboy hat took me by surprise, Wearing shiny boots, A Nudi suit and haunting haunted eyes, He said 'Friend it's good to see you, it's nice to know you care', Then the wind picked up and he was gone, Was he ever really there, 'Cause it's midnight in Montgomery, Just hear that whipporwill, See the stars light up the purple sky, Feel that lonesome chill, Cause when the wind is right, you'll hear his songs, Smell whiskey in the air, Midnight in MontgomeryHe's always singing there****_

Chris rolled his eyes, as he got out of his truck when the familiar lyrics came on_. _Tanner always had him listen to that song when it played, saying that he understood it, "Not listening to that song anymore, pard, no matter how much you 'Cowboy,' me."

He was waiting for Josiah, when he saw someone walking down the road, "Hey," he yelled, as the wind picked up, "Hey!"

The figure turned around to show Vin Tanner, "Hey, cowboy, why ain't you listening to the song?"

"I'm busy trying to find your sorry Texan hide, than to listen to a song that makes me want to cut, Tanner."

"The answer is in the song, Chris. He found his name where?"

Chris impatiently closed his eyes, prying he didn't strangle his best friend, however when he looked back, Vin wasn't there.

"_Oh, God, he's at the cemetery."_


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Sorry it's been so long. My charger broke Welcome to my world J This chapter isn't very long and not as much as I wanted to add but I will gladly take any suggestions that ya'll may have thank you for reading and ya'll's reveiws. J

The snow was nothing more than that. Just flakes in the air. But to those who'd grown up around it, it would be turning deadly within a few hours.

Nikole led her horse as she climbed a hill and looked down when she saw something was laying at the bottom. It was much quicker to cut across the woods than to use the trail so that was what she did.

As she decended Nikole noticed that she was nearing the Larabee cemetery where Chris had his wife and son buried, she unconsciencly laid her hand on her stomach.

As she walked by she realized what she'd seen "VIN!"

Shris mest Buck near the fence line, "He's at the cemetery,"

"You're sure about this Chris? That was a fair amount of blood back there."

"I'm sure, I just have that feeling"

Chris and Buck topped the hill at the same time as they heard a woman shout.

Mary gasped when she opened the door to Josiah Sanchez carrying an unconscious Vin Tanner, "His room, now!" she ordered before yelling "NATHAN!"

Chris and Buck came in with Nikole, "Call Cassie, JD. Tell her we're delivering a baby too," he almost added that for his wife's benefit, but already knew she understood.

"I am NOT having the baby right now, Chris. I want to see my brother."

"You are going to bed if it's the last thing I make you do. Do you understand me, Major?"

Her grip on his arm tightened, "Yes sir."

"Wow, you should have children more often if you're going to be this compliant."

"Shut up Chris," Mary said, "and get her to bed." she added before running back to the kitchen grabbing her phone on the way.

The group met in the living room an hour later, "We're snowed in," Chris started, "as of thirty minutes ago and it's not letting up. Fortunatly we have the medical group we need. Nathan?"

Nathan stepped out of the hallway, "Yes, sir?

"How's Vin doing?"

Nathan crossed his arms, "He's doing fine considering. A few broken ribs and a concussion which is the leading factor in him still being unconscious. Other than that a few cuts that needed to be stiched and bruises. If he doesn't wake up, by tonight, then we'll have to find a way to get him to the hospital."

Chris nodded, "We'll take turns sitting with him then. Cass, how is it going on your end?'

"The baby will be here soon. Kole is doing good, although upset that she can't leave the bed."

"Of course," Chris said as he rolled his eyes.

Vin slowly came to as Nathan wipd the blood off his face, "Chris?"

"No, Vin. He stepped out for a minute. How do you feel?"

"Sore." came the whispered answer.

"Cassie said you might feel that way for a while. When your truck flipped, your windshield shattered and you went through it. Nikole found you near the cemetery and Chris and Buck foud the both of you. You were pretty banged up and was still unconscious until now."

"You said Cassie was here. Why is a obstetrician here?" as he asked the question he sat up quickly and was over come by a wave of dizzyness.

"I've told you boys not to set up too quickly or you'll be dizzy. Lay down. Your fever broke four hours ago and you think you can just get up. Dr. Stalin is here because…" Buck came in about that time, "Kole had her baby."

"She did?" Nathan asked a little surprised, "how is she?"

"She's tired but good." Buck looked at Vin, "How do you feel kid?"

"I'm okay," he whispered as he once again was asleep.

"Nathan?"

"He woke up, Buck. That's a good thing. He'll be fine now."


End file.
